Sasikala hits at Panneerselvam, makes Sengottaiyan Presidium chairman

Chennai, Feb. 10 -- Political volatility in Tamil Nadu persists on Friday as interim chief minister O. Paneerselvam and the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (AIADMK) general secretary V.K. Sasikala continue their bitter power struggle to take over the reins of the state.
On Thursday evening, both claimants to the legacy of late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa met with governor Vidyasagar Rao who returned to the state. He has sent a report on the political situation in the state to the centre after hearing out V.K. Sasikala and interim chief minister O. Panneerselvam.
The power struggle followed the 5 December death of Jayalalithaa, the state's charismatic chief minister, after almost two months of hospitalisation. Sasikala is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on a case of disproportionate assets.
Here are some of the major developments that have taken place in the power struggle between Paneerselvam and Sasikala:
? Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao told interim chief minister Panneerselvam that he may have to involve central forces to rescue the MLAs if the alleged 'hostage situation' wasn't solved. (CNN-News18)
E. Madusudanan has written to the Election Commission (EC) urging it not to recognise Sasikala as the AIADMK general secretary saying she was not elected to the post as per party by-laws, reported PTI.
Asserting that only cadres can elect a general secretary as per party rules, Madusudanan, who was removed from all party posts besides from the primary membership, said he had asked the EC not to recognise Sasikala as party chief.
Earlier, expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa has already petitioned the EC against the election of V K Sasikala, saying it was not done as per procedure and the EC had sought the party's response to it.
Tamil Nadu governor Vijyasagar Rao has intervened in the tussle and summoned the DGP over claims that lawmakers have been held "hostage" by Sasikala and her aides. (Hindustan Times)
AIADMK's new presidium chairman K. A. Sengottaiyan goes to Golden Bay Resort to meet MLAs who have been lodged there. (The Hindu)
Sasikala sacks AIADMK Presidium chairman E Madusudanan from party's primary membership, a day after he joined Pannnerselvam's camp.
A section of AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to party general secretary Sasikala have dismissed media reports and allegations from the Panneerselvam camp that they were being "detained" at a resort near Chennai, and asserted that they were "free", PTI reported.
V. C. Arukutty, MLA from Kavundampalayam in Coimbatore and a supporter of Panneerselvam, alleged that the MLAs were "detained" and "not reachable."
"We are free. We are keenly awaiting Governor's invitation (to Sasikala to form government). We are not children to be detained or abducted as is being reported in a section of media," Perundurai MLA ND Venkadachalam said.
Gudiyatham MLA Jayanti Padmanabhan also said she was not being detained as was being made out and lashed out at Panneerselvam. Former Minister and senior party leader B Valarmathi insisted that the MLAs were free and alleged they were being "intimidated" by those close to Panneerselvam.
In more support to Panneerselvam, AIADMK leader E Ponnusamy on Friday joined his camp, and urged the party MLAs to back him. He said Panneerselvam had been identified by former party supremo J Jayalalithaa and appealed to the AIADMK MLAs to extend their support to him.
Yesterday, AIADMK Presidium chairman E Madusudanan had extended his support to Panneerselvam.
? Ruling AIADMK kept up its attack on Panneerselvam, saying Jayalalithaa's "soul will not forgive" him for trying to split the party, and asserted that Sasikala will be soon sworn in as chief minister, according to PTI.
Responding to party Presidium chairman E. Madusudanan hopping camps to join Panneerselvam, AIADMK spokesperson Vaigaichelvan said those aligning with the chief minister were those "beyond their expiry date" and people will ignore them.
? Madras high court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu police to file an affidavit on the allegations that Sasikala has kept a large number MLAs under detention in resort. (News18.com)
The Supreme Court on Friday declined an urgent hearing on a plea seeking to restrain Sasikala from becoming Tamil Nadu chief minister till its decision in the disproportionate assets case. (PTI)
DMK working president M K Stalin on Friday denied that his party has offered support to Panneerselvam and asserted that an 'appropriate decision' would be taken at the right time. One of DMK's deputy general secretaries Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan had said that DMK would offer unconditional support to Panneerselvam. (PTI)
The Congress has reportedly refused to support to Sasikala, giving a major blow to her bid to take the reins of the state.
Sasikala, general secretary of the ruling AIADMK, met Rao at Raj Bhavan on Thursday evening to stake her claim to forming the government after a visit to a memorial built for Jayalalithaa.
In what could be a potential setback for the Sasikala camp, AIADMK presidium chairman and veteran party leader E. Madhusudhanan met Panneerselvam at his residence and extended support. Panneerselvam said Madhusudhanan should have become the general secretary of the party instead of Sasikala.
? Caretaker CM Pannerselvam asked for five days to gather support of AIADMK legislators, who, he has alleged, are being held "captive" by the camp led by VK Sasikala. (NDTV)
Panneerselvam in a dramatic volte-face said on Wednesday that he had been forced to resign as chief minister on Monday and would order a judicial probe into the death of Jayalalithaa.
Ahead of the governor's arrival, chief secretary Girija Vaidhyanathan and Tamil Nadu director general of police (DGP) T.K. Rajendran held discussions at Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam's residence on Thursday morning.
The AIADMK has 135 members in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. The Sasikala camp claims to have the support of at least 130, who attended a meeting she summoned on Wednesday. Sasikala removed Panneerselvam as party treasurer after his revolt. Either side will need to prove the support of 118 to form the next government.